Effects of Propolis, Ascorbic Acid and Vitamin E on Thyroid and Corticosterone Hormones in Heat Stressed Broilers

The study was designed to evaluate the effect of oxidative stress during the summer on serum levels of Triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and corticosterone hormones in Ross 308 broiler chickens and to compare the efficacy of propolis, ascorbic acid and vitamin E (α-tocopherol acetate) as antioxidants in amelioration of heat stress and normalization of serum T3 and T4 and corticosterone levels in broilers. Birds were divided into five groups during the experimental period (15 to 42 days of age), the positive control group (G1) was kept under thermo-neutral condition (28.0±4.0°C ) and fed control diet, while the other four groups were exposed to heat stress (38.0±1.4°C), control group (G2) chicks were fed control diet without additives, propolis group (G3) chicks were supplemented with 250 mg Chinese ether extracted propolis /kg diet, group (G4) supplemented with 250 mg ascorbic acid/kg diet and group (G5) supplemented with 250 mg of α-tocopherol acetate/kg diet (vitamin E). At the end of day 42, five broilers were randomly chosen from each treatment and slaughtered, and then sera were collected to estimate T3 and T4 and corticosterone levels. The results indicated that dietary supplementation of broilers with 250 mg/kg diet propolis, vitamin E or vitamin C can attenuate heat stress induced oxidative damage. These positive effects were evidenced by reduced serum corticosterone levels and improvement in thyroid hormonal levels in comparison to non-supplemented birds reared under heat stress

Influence of Swimming Deprivation on Behavior, Performance and some Blood Parameters of Muscovy Ducks

This experiment was done to determine the effect of swimming deprivation on drinking behaviour, feather pecking behavior, feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, live body weight, slaughter weight, carcass weight and dressing percentage, serum corticosterone, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) of Muscovy ducks. Two groups were used; the first one is the control group fed on basal diet with free access to swimming pond, and the second fed on basal diet without access to swimming pond. The previous parameters were recorded daily or weekly during the experiment or after slaughtering for collecting blood parameters. The results explained that, there was an insignificant decrease in drinking behavior and significant increase in feather pecking. However, there was an insignificant decrease in feed consumption, live body weight, feed conversion, weight gain, dressing percentage, liver weight and serum corticosterone level. There was an insignificant decrease in T3 and T4 level and significant increase in feather pecking behaviour. It could be concluded that, swimming deprivation at the end of the fattening period of ducks had an adverse effect on some duck behaviors but it have no significant effect on improvement of performance parameters and carcass characters

Force feeding as a Stress Factor on Muscovy Ducks

The experiment was done to determine the effects of force feeding on drinking, panting behaviors, feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, live body weight, slaughter weight, carcass weight and dressing percentage, serum corticosterone, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) of Muscovy ducks. Two groups were used; the first one was the control group, which fed on basal diet only and the second group was force fed by grabbing the neck, and a metal or plastic tube 8 to 12 inches long was inserted down the esophagus. Ducklings were forced to ingest a greater amount of food than what they would eat voluntarily. The previous parameters were recorded daily or weekly during the experiment or after slaughtering. Blood samples for separation of serum were collected after slaughtering. The results explained that, there was an insignificant increase in drinking behavior. However, there was a significant increase in feed consumption, live body weight, feed conversion, weight gain, dressing percentage, panting behavior, liver weight and serum corticosterone level while there was a significant decrease in T3 and T4 level. It could be concluded that, force feeding at the end of the fattening period of ducks had adverse effect on some duck behaviors and some blood parameters but led to improvement in performance parameters and carcass characters

Differential Leucocyte Count and Total Colony Count Changes in Heat Stressed Broiler

The present study aimed to explain the role of additives in alleviation of the negative effect of heat stress on differential leucocytes count, heterophil / lymphocytic ratio with especial studies on the microbial count of duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caecum. A total of 270 day-old (Ross308) broiler chickens randomly divided into 6 groups, which were kept under elevated temperature (34-36◦C) and feed diet containing 1% Nigella Sativa (G2) or a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride (0.3% KCL+ 0.5% NaHCO3) (G3) or 2% coriander seed (G4) or 0.03% Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) (G5) or 250 mg of Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) (G6) for 6 weeks. The previous parameters were recorded after slaughtering to take microbial sample and collecting blood parameters. The results explained that, there was a significant increase lymphocyte percentage in case of G2, G3, G4, G5 and G6. while, there was significant decreases in Heterophil percentage, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H/L), eosinophils percentage, monocytes percentage, jejunum total colony count and caecum total colony in case of (G2, G3, G4, G5), (G6, G2, G3, G4, G5), (G6, G3), (G5; G2), (G3; G2) and (G2, G4) respectively in compared with control group (P<0.05). It could be concluded that black seed and coriander seed have a positive effect on heat stress broiler diet

Behavioral, Performance, Carcass Traits and Hormonal Changes of Heat Stressed Broilers Feeding Black and Coriander Seeds

The experiment was done to determine the effects of feeding heat stressed broilers (Ross308) diets contain Nigella Sativa seeds or coriander seeds on Ingestive, panting behaviors, feed consumption, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio, live body weight, slaughter weight, carcass weight and dressing percentage, corticosterone, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4). Three groups were used; the first one is the control group, which fed on basal diet only and the second fed diet contains 1% Nigella Sativa seeds (black seed) while the third group fed diet contain 2% coriander seeds. The previous parameters were recorded daily or weekly during the experiment or after slaughtering to collecting blood parameters. The results explained that, there was a significant increase in feeding behavior, feed consumption, weight gain and dressing percentage while there was a significant decrease in panting behavior, water to feed ratio, T3 level and corticosterone level. Moreover, there was no significance difference in drinking behavior live body weight, slaughter weight, feed conversion rate and T4 level (P<0.05). It could be concluded that, black seeds and coriander seeds can be used to alleviate the negative effect of heat stress in broiler during summer seasons in Egypt

Identification and differentiation among chicken's, duck's, quail's, rabbit's and turkey's meat using PCR-RFLP technique

PCR-RFLP technique was developed for identification and differentiation among chicken's, duck's, quail's, rabbit's and turkey's meat. DNA from small amount of muscles (0.05 g) was extracted and a region of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome-b gene) in chicken, duck, quail, rabbit and turkey was amplified by PCR. Fragment length of the PCR product was 371 bp in chicken, 374 bp in duck and rabbit and 377 bp in both quail and turkey. Six nucleotides different makes it difficult to differentiate among these five species-specific meat. For differentiation, three different restriction enzymes (DdeI, MspI and TaqI) were used to digest the PCR products. Restriction analysis showed difference among chicken's, duck's, quail's, rabbit's and turkey's meat. Where, DdeI yielded two fragments (291 and 83 bp) only in rabbit's meat. MspI yielded three fragments (221, 85 and 65 bp) in chicken's meat and two fragments (290 and 87 bp) in both quail's and turkey's meat. TaqI yielded three fragments (146, 134 and 94 bp) in duck's meat and two fragments (226 and 151 bp) in quail's meat. The use of Cytb- PCR-RFLP assay allowed a direct and fast authentication and differentiation among chicken's, duck's, quail's, rabbit's and turkey's meat

Manufacture of Anatomical Synthetic Demonstrating Models

The practical demonstration session is usually conducted using wet dissected cadaver specimens, plastinated specimens and sometimes plastic anatomical models. Computer-aided teaching means are added nowadays. Due to high formalin toxicity, high cost of plastinated specimens, high cost of computer-aided teaching programs, the synthetic specimens or plastic models are still good substitutes for practical teaching and learning, especially in developing countries like Egypt. Since imported synthetic models are relatively expensive, especially the magnified or those of high quality, the present trial aims at finding a simplified designing idea for manufacture of anatomical models. This simplified methodology helps in changing the two dimensional (2D) pictures to 3D synthetic anatomical local models. These models can be of great help in illustrations and teaching purposes especially for minute parts like natural ear ossicles, which can never be displayed in practical lessons except as pictures. In the present study, different human middle ear ossicles were obtained by repeated dissections of multiple wet cadavers to make an average dimensions for each ossicle. Two dimensional photographs for the ossicles on 1 mm-squared background sheet were taken to confirm measurements and the desired magnification was determined according to the reasonable demonstration distance. The third dimension is deduced by repeated reading of different sources and by reviewing their pictures in different aspects. Three-dimensional primitive magnified models made of sculpting clay were made. Permanent models were manufactured by using synthetic liquid polyester. All models contain wire core skeleton. These manufactured demonstrating anatomical models were found to be durable and easily portable in addition to their relatively simplified manufacturing methodology. They can also offer the basis for manufacturing of implants and prosthesis needed for rehabilitation purposes

Thermochemistry and Kinetics of the Thermal Degradation of 2-Methoxyethanol as Possible Biofuel Additives

Oxygenated organic compounds derived from biomass (biofuel) are a promising alternative renewable energy resource. Alcohols are widely used as biofuels, but studies on bifunctional alcohols are still limited. This work investigates the unimolecular thermal degradation of 2-methoxyethanol (2ME) using DFT/BMK and ab initio (CBS-QB3 and G3) methods. Enthalpies of the formation of 2ME and its decomposition species have been calculated. Conventional transition state theory has been used to estimate the rate constant of the pyrolysis of 2ME over a temperature range of 298–2000 K. Production of methoxyethene via 1,3-H atom transfer represents the most kinetically favored path in the course of 2ME pyrolysis at room temperature and requires less energy than the weakest C α − C β simple bond fission. Thermodynamically, the most preferred channel is methane and glycoladhyde formation. A ninefold frequency factor gives a superiority of the C α − C β bond breaking over the C γ − O β bond fission despite comparable activation energies of these two processes. © 2019, The Author(s).Scopu

Computational Studies on the Thermodynamic and Kinetic Parameters of Oxidation of 2-Methoxyethanol Biofuel via H-Atom Abstraction by Methyl Radical

In this work, a theoretical investigation of thermochemistry and kinetics of the oxidation of bifunctional 2-Methoxyethanol (2ME) biofuel using methyl radical was introduced. Potential-energy surface for various channels for the oxidation of 2ME was studied at density function theory (M06-2X) and ab initio CBS-QB3 levels of theory. H-atom abstraction reactions, which are essential processes occurring in the initial stages of the combustion or oxidation of organic compounds, from different sites of 2ME were examined. A similar study was conducted for the isoelectronic n-butanol to highlight the consequences of replacing the ϒ CH2 group by an oxygen atom on the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the oxidation processes. Rate coefficients were calculated from the transition state theory. Our calculations show that energy barriers for n-butanol oxidation increase in the order of α ‹ O ‹ ϒ ‹ β ‹ ξ, which are consistent with previous data. However, for 2ME the energy barriers increase in the order α ‹ β ‹ ξ ‹ O. At elevated temperatures, a slightly high total abstraction rate is observed for the bifunctional 2ME (4 abstraction positions) over n-butanol (5 abstraction positions). © 2019, The Author(s).Scopu